Pokemon Master: Sakura: Syaoran's story
by ShadowX-Over.Writer
Summary: Life has its ups and downs. But running away from it isn't the answer. Soley focuses on Syaoran as he journies to find himself. Based from the Syaoran from Pokemon Master: Sakura. DISCONTINUED
1. Little Wolf

Hello peoples! This story will be short, I promise.... For the most part. Anyways, I thought you would be curious about Syaoran's past. So I decided to put a story, solely focused on Syaoran. Yay! Syaoran stars in his own story! Anyways, hope you enjoy.

**Pokemon Master: Sakura**

**Syaoran/Lucario's Story Chapter 1: "Little" Wolf**

_"Lady Yelan!" a man cried as he suddenly ran into our house._

_My mother hurried over to the man as he started talking quietly to her._

_I peeked around the corner to see the man whispering to my mother with a look of urgency._

_I saw my mother's expression change as a look of horror come across her pale face before dashing out of the house._

_I looked at the man standing at the doorway with a look of confusion on my face._

_He noticed me and slowly walked over to me._

_He kneeled down and placed a hand on my shoulder._

_I noticed sadness in his eyes as he spoke in a wavering voice._

_"It's your father... I'm so sorry, Xiao Lang."_

_---------_

There was a great war going on and Syaoran's father was one of the high commanders of the army.

He was hardly home because of it, which made Yelan worry.

But during one of the most important battles, he took an arrow straight through the heart and was killed instantly.

One of Syaoran's father's friends told Yelan the dreadful news, which devastated her.

Syaoran's father's coffin was first placed in the courtyard as incense burned at the foot of where the coffin was.

Others came and bowed in respect while placing money in a donation box to help them pay for the funeral.

Afterwards, the coffin was taken up to the highest hillside in the land, which was where the burial would be.

After the prayer ceremony, a giant hole was dug and Syaoran's father's coffin was gently placed inside.

A three year old Syaoran walked over to his father's grave with his mother and threw a handful of dirt into the grave.

This was done by all the other mourners until the grave was filled.

All through the prayers and burial, Syaoran watched as his mother did her best to keep her emotions under control.

After the final prayer, Syaoran walked past some of the elders and overheard them talking about him.

"Now that the head of the Li clan is gone, do you think it's time that Xiao lang assumed the role of the head of the family?"

"He's exactly what we're looking for. He shows no emotion, which is essential to becoming a strong leader."

Yelan quickly snatched Syaoran away from the elders' conversation, much to Syaoran's surprise.

Syaoran was puzzled to why she had suddenly taken him away from the elders, but didn't question it.

He thought that becoming head of the Li clan was his goal in life and felt proud to know that the elders saw great potential in him.

At home, they burned the clothes they were wearing at the funeral so they wouldn't be burdened by bad luck, which is death.

A black cloth was placed around Syaoran's sleeve to signify he was mourning.

Yelan placed his father's tablet in the family shrine before falling to her knees and sobbing in front of the tablet.

Syaoran was still very young and didn't quite understand, but felt a small amount of grief bubbling inside him.

Syaoran slowly walked over to his mother's side and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

Yelan looked up at him before wrapping her arms around him, thanking him for his comfort.

A rain drop hit Syaoran in the face and quickly looked up to see dark clouds overhead.

Syaoran took Yelan's hand and started leading her to the house.

Yelan was surprised but smiled, seeing how strong hearted and caring Syaoran is under his emotionless face.

Even at this age, Syaoran showed to be very strong.

(A year later)

"Come on..." Syaoran grumbled as he tried to wipe a stubborn smudge off of one of the tablets.

Yelan watched him hard at work and chuckled.

'He's just like his father.'

Since his father's death, Syaoran has been diligent in helping around the house.

He would help with the cooking, cleaning and tended the potted plants around the house.

Recently, Yelan noticed that Syaoran would take special care of a small cherry blossom growing in the garden.

Syaoran would make sure it had enough water and carefully pruned it to make it look like the prettiest flower in the garden.

"Xiao lang." Yelan called as Syaoran looked up from watering the cherry blossom.

"Why is it that you take such tender care of that cherry blossom?"

Syaoran shrugged and went back to watering it. "I don't know. It's just special."

Suddenly, the front gates flew open, revealing two of the Li elders.

Yelan quickly stood up and bowed in respect.

"What brings you here?" Yelan asked calmly.

"We have come for Xiao lang." one of the elders replied.

Yelan looked at them in disbelief as Syaoran looked up at her in concern.

"We have decided that now is the time to train young Xiao lang in the ways of becoming the next head of the Li clan." the elder said.

Yelan swallowed hard and bowed. "I understand."

"Good. Come along, Xiao lang. Your training starts immediately." the elder said, grabbing Syaoran roughly by the wrist.

"But..! Mother!" Syaoran cried as he pulled away from the elder's grasp and ran over to his mother.

Yelan hugged him before taking him by the shoulder and looking at him directly in the eyes.

"Listen to me. Do not worry, I'll be fine. Be strong Xiao lang. We will see each other again." Yelan said with a soft smile as Syaoran looked at her with uncertainty.

"Xiao lang, come!" the elder said taking Syaoran by the arm and dragging him out the front gate.

Syaoran looked back at Yelan one last time as she mouthed the words, "be strong".

OOOOOOO

Syaoran was brought to the main estate where he began his training as the next leader of the Li clan.

The elders gave him scrolls and scrolls of what he needed to know.

Syaoran took all his studies very seriously, studying them long and hard, making sure he caught every detail.

The elders were surprised by his resilience and commitment and praised him for it.

Syaoran didn't feel right at the palace and longed to see his mother again.

When ever he would stare out the window, the elders would hit the table he was working at with a long stick, shocking him back to studying.

Syaoran was never allowed to go outside the gates of the Li palace, so he didn't have any friends. No one to talk to, no one to laugh with.

Syaoran was then taught how to do martial arts, which he picked up quickly.

He enjoyed it and all his teachers were impressed.

They all said he moved through the motions smoothly and how fast he picked up new techniques was impressive.

Though he enjoyed martial arts, he still felt empty on the inside.

On occasion, other blood relatives visited the palace and brought their children.

Syaoran had no experience in making friends, so he would never talk to them.

When he wasn't studying, he would read alone in the garden.

"What are you doing?"

Syaoran looked up to see a girl with buns in her hair and ruby red eyes.

"...."

"Can you talk?"

"...."

"I see you practicing martial arts sometimes. You're really good."

"...."

"Do you want to play with me?"

"Lady Meiling!"

A woman came over and took Meiling by the hand and gave her a disapproving look.

"That is the future head of the family. You shouldn't bother him." she said.

"Yes, mother." Meiling said looking at the ground.

As her mother started leading her away, Meiling looked back at Syaoran, who had gone back to reading.

'He looks really lonely...' Meiling thought.

OOOOOOO

Yelan was permitted to come visit Syaoran only once every four months so she wouldn't distract him from his training.

Every visit, Yelan was given reports on Syaoran's progress.

Yelan would always smile and congratulate Syaoran, but he noticed that her smile was a sad one.

He didn't understand why she would be sad, but didn't say anything about it.

They were hardly given any time to talk for a long period of time and Yelan was beginning to worry about how the elders were molding Syaoran into.

As the years passed by, Syaoran became more and more emotionless.

He hardly ever smiled, there were no reasons to.

All he cared about were his studies and what was necessary to become a strong leader.

The elders told him that a strong leader did not rely on petty emotions, but their strengths.

Syaoran didn't know any better and took what they told him to heart.

There were so many restrictions placed on him, but he never questioned or went against them.

Everyday, Syaoran felt himself becoming more and more like an empty shell as he let go of all his emotions.

It bothered him, though he didn't know why.

As he was practicing his martial arts in the garden, he glanced over to see a cherry blossom outside the garden.

A small breeze blew some petals over the gates and into the garden, over to Syaoran.

Syaoran caught one of the petals in his fist and looked at it sitting on the palm of his hand.

Somehow, the sight of the pretty pink petal calmed Syaoran's nerves.

Syaoran smiled softly, which surprised him.

He hasn't smiled like that for years.

Syaoran chuckled to himself before allowing the wind to take the cherry blossom into the air.

Syaoran watched it as the cherry blossom petal disappeared into the distance.

OOOOOOO

"Yes, Xiao lang is a promising heir to the head of the Li clan." the elders said to Yelan during one of her few visits.

All the elders were content with Syaoran's progress. But Syaoran still felt empty and alone.

"Xiao lang." the elders called as a six year old Syaoran came into the room with cold, empty expression.

Yelan noticed this as Syaoran bowed in respect.

"Good of you to come, mother." Syaoran said without an ounce of emotion in his voice.

Yelan looked at him in concern, and then looked over to see the elders talking with each other.

"May I see you in the garden, Xiao lang?" Yelan asked quietly.

Syaoran nodded before following his mother out into the garden.

Once they were alone, Yelan looked at Syaoran seriously.

"What happened to you, Xiao lang?" Yelan asked.

"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong." Syaoran said lifting his eye brow slightly.

Yelan shook her head. "No, you're not you. You've changed."

"I am just doing what the elders instructed me to do. Emotions are for the weak."

"No, they're wrong. Emotions are the key to unlocking the power in your heart. Don't you see your heart is your strength?"

Syaoran looked at her puzzled, obviously not getting what she was saying.

Yelan gave him a soft smile. "You'll understand when you're older..."

OOOOOOO

As Syaoran trained, he seemed more distracted and the elders were not pleased by this.

Syaoran was still wondering what Yelan meant by talking about the heart.

The elders saw it troubling that Syaoran couldn't concentrate recently because of his talk with Yelan.

"So it has been decided. For the sake of your studies, we will prohibit Lady Yelan from interfering with your way of thinking." the elders said a year later.

Syaoran's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Your mother has been putting ideas into your head that are irrelevant to becoming the next Li clan leader. So we think it best that-"

"No! You can't do this!" Syaoran suddenly shouted.

All the elders were all shocked at this, but became serious again.

"See, what she's done to you? Emotions hold you back from your true potential. This is the reason the previous head of the Li clan died in battle!"

Something deep inside Syaoran snapped and anger burned in Syaoran's amber eyes.

"My father was not weak! He was the strongest and kindest leader ever!" Syaoran shouted before bolting gout of the palace.

"Xiao lang!" the elders called after him, but Syaoran ignored them and continued running.

Syaoran ran through the village, causing people to look over at him curiously.

He then ran into the forest, running on pure impulse.

Syaoran ran past some Cherrims singing in the trees, but soon closed up when the sun hid behind some threatening looking clouds.

He soon came to a stop and sat down at the base of a tree before putting his face in his arms.

As Syaoran sat in silence, he failed to notice something prowling around in the brush and two burning red eyes appeared from the shadows.

**To be continued...**

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**Hope this didn't go by too fast, but I didn't want to spend so much time here. Anyways, poor Syaoran. Don't worry, things will get better. Well, then go back down. Let's just say his life is like a roller coaster right now. He has his highs and then his lows. Please Review!


	2. Eternal Fear

This one is going to be pretty short. But enjoy anyway.

**Chapter 2: Eternal Fear**

The elders were in a fury as Yelan stepped into the palace grounds, unaware of the current situation.

"You!" one of the elders shouted as Yelan came in calmly.

"Where's Xiao lang?" Yelan asked.

"He's gone!" the elder shouted as Yelan looked at him in shock.

"He ran out of the palace after we told him that emotions were but a distraction." they said.

"What did you say exactly?" Yelan said narrowing her eyes, knowing that Syaoran would never angry unless he had a good reason.

"We said that emotions are weak. Which is why his father perished in battle."

Yelan's eyes burned with fury as she glared at the elders' stupidity.

"You fools! No wonder Xiao lang ran out!" Yelan shouted.

"It was your talk with him! You were the one who filled his head with those decisive words of yours! Now, there will be no heir!"

Yelan igroned them and rushed out to go find Syaoran.

'Xiao lang, where are you?'

Yelan rushed into the village in search of her only son.

Dodrios and Tauroses were pulling cars of produce and merchandise with their owners waving them over to shops and houses.

Pidgeys and a few Murkrows were perched on top of the buildings and Machops were meditating against the walls of stores and houses.

Yelan looked left and right, but Syaoran was no where to be seen so she desperately started calling out to him.

"Xiao lang!"

OOOOOOO

-rustle-rustle-

Syaoran glanced up and looked around cautiously, wondering where the noise was coming from.

There were some rustling in the tall grass and Syaoran slowly rose to his feet.

His heart started pounding with anxiety as the rushtly stopped, seeming to know that Syaoran was on the alert.

A small breeze blew at Syaoran's bangs as his eyes darted back and forth, searching for any kind of movement.

As Syaoran started walking away, there was a sudden movement in the tall grass and Syaoran whirled around.

While Syaoran was looking around, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared from behind.

"Zang..."

Suddenly, a red and white cat/mongoose-like creature jumped out of the brush and slashed Syaoran across the shoulder.

Syaoran fell to the ground, gripping his shoulder in pain.

Blood dripped down his arm and onto the ground.

Syaoran staggered to his feet before sprinting deeper into the forest.

Zangoose narrowed its eyes in glee and gave a toothy grin. "Keep running. It'll make the kill a lot more interesting..."

Syaoran ran as fast as he could while still gripping his wounded shoulder.

He stopped and tried to catch his breath for a moment as he leaned against a nearby tree.

There was another rustling in the brush again and Syaoran immediately stood up.

Zangoose jumped out of the brush and used Slash.

Syaoran ducked just as Zangoose slashed, cutting down the tree behind him.

Syaoran dove out of the way as the tree just barely missed crushing him.

He quickly got back on his feet and started running again.

"Heh. You can't run forever, kid!" Zangoose snarled while rushing after him.

OOOOOOO

Yelan ran into the forest as dark clouds formed overhead.

"Xiao lang!" Yelan cried desperately as she ran through the forest.

She suddenly stopped and saw drops of blood on the ground.

Yelan bent down and observed the drops of blood and noticed a small piece of green fabric on the side.

Her eyes widened in horror as she ran deeper into the forest, praying that Syaoran was still alive.

OOOOOOO

Zangoose used Quick Attack, slamming into Syaoran full force and sent him flying into the trunk of a tree.

Pain went surging through Syaoran's shoulder as he gripped it with great intensity.

Zangoose looked down at him like a predator about to kill its prey as Syaoran tried to back up but was already against the tree.

"W-Why are you doing this?" Syaoran mumbled.

"Because your people have been hunting and killing my kind for centuries! So I'm just returning the favor." Zangoose sneered while showing its claws.

Syaoran laid back against the tree with his eyes wide with horror as Zangoose wound up to attack.

"Say hi to your ancestors!" Zangoose shouted as its claw started glowing with a brilliant light.

Syaoran squeezed his eyes shut as he awaited impact.

Syaoran's life suddenly flashed before his eyes and realized, he never had one.

He was never given the chance to actually be who he was and now he will never.

"Take this!" Zangoose shouted as it started coming down on him with a powerful Crush Claw.

"Xiao lang!"

Syaoran's eyes snapped open just as someone rushed in at the last moment as Zangoose came down on that person with Crush Claw.

"Mother..?!" Syaoran mumbled in horror.

Yelan smiled weakly and sighed in relief. "I'm glad... You're all right... Xiao lang."

"W-Why did you-" Syaoran stammered as Zangoose curled its lip in frustration and slammed its claw into Yelan's back.

Yelan grunted in pain and coughed up a few drops of blood.

"You must get... away... from the elders..." Yelan said weakly as her arms started to shake.

"Mother!" Syaoran cried as Zangoose continued pounding against Yelan's back as she continued protecting Syaoran with her body.

"Don't go back there... or else the elders... will turn you into nothing but a heartless... machine... you must go."

"I won't leave you! Not again!" Syaoran cried as tears stung at his eyes.

"You have to... I won't be able to make it... But don't worry... Someone is waiting for you... Be strong... My... Little wolf..."

With that, Syaoran ran off deeper into the forest as rain started to fall.

Zangoose saw him run off and tried to go after him, but Yelan grabbed onto his tail and yanked him down.

"Gah!" Zangoose growled as it whirled around and glared at Yelan.

"I will not allow you to hurt him." Yelan said.

Zangoose's claw started glowing again.

"I guess I'll have to settle for you then." Zangoose said narrowing its eyes.

Rain started pouring in a second, drowning out all other sounds in the area.

------

_That was the last time I ever saw my mother... She died to protect me._

_I really am a coward._

_I left her during her time of need._

_I couldn't do anything. I let her die..._

_I'm not strong... I'm the farthest thing from it... I'm pathetic._

-------

(Present day)

Syaoran was lying on the roof of the house with his hands behind his head as he gazed at the cresent moon shining overhead.

When his memories came to him all at once, he felt like he was going to explode.

But somehow, hearing Sakura's voice calmed him and was able to take in his memories without that much strain.

Syaoran placed the back of his hand on his forehead and breathed a sigh.

'It all makes sense... The reason I was afraid of Zangooses. But... Who was the person my mother was talking to me about? Was it Sir Aaron? Or...'

An image of Sakura's smiling face flashed across Syaoran's mind, causing his eyes to snap open.

Syaoran immediately sat up wide eyed.

'Could... the person mother was talking about... could it be...'

**To be continued...**

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* * *

**Sorry this one had to be so short, but there really isn't anything else to put into this one. Don't worry, the next chapter will be normal length. Please Review!


	3. A New Beginning

Sorry for the late update, but I haven't felt any inspiration for this story until recently. So, enjoy!

**Chapter 3: A New Beginning**

It was pouring rain and Syaoran was walking aimlessly through the forest, feeling utterly numb both physically because of the cold and mentally.

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder again from the wound he got from the Zangoose.

Syaoran gripped his shoulder in pain as he fell to his knees.

He looked at his hand to find blood. The wound was still fresh and if he wasn't treated, it would surely get infected.

His mind was blank. He couldn't think straight after seeing his mother give up her life for his.

He felt helpless and weak. He said he would protect her, but...

Thoughts of uncertainty whirled through his head, when finally he couldn't bear it anymore.

Syaoran gripped his head in pain as tears threatened to start streaming down his face, feeling the full-blown pain of losing his mother, but fought to keep them back.

He was left with nothing. Nothing to go back to... he was all alone.

Footsteps suddenly sounded in the distance, snapping Syaoran back to reality.

He looked up to see a ferocious looking beast-like creature with smoke coming from its back.

It had a yellow crest on its head and gray spikes jutting out of its back.

The creature had burning orange eyes as it looked down at Syaoran.

Syaoran looked away, closing his eyes tight waiting to be finished off right then and there.

'Am I really going to die here...?'

The creature suddenly made a grunting noise and walked away.

Syaoran looked back up at the creature puzzled, who was still walking away.

The creature looked back at Syaoran and motioned for him to follow.

Syaoran hesitantly got to his feet and slowly followed the creature into the forest.

The creature would pause occasionally to check to see if he was still following and that he wasn't too far behind.

_"Aaaazzoooooo...."_

Syaoran stopped abruptly and looked around to see where the noise had come from.

The creature noticed he had stopped and looked back at him. It grunted again and Syaoran looked back at the creature.

The creature tipped its head as it started back down an unknown path.

Syaoran followed it again, his heart pounding with anxiety.

The rain was slowly subsiding and Syaoran spotted a light shining up ahead.

The creature stopped again and motioned for Syaoran to go on without it.

Syaoran walked up to the creature and gently placed his hand against its soft mane.

The creature looked at him from the corner of its eye before closing its eyes and nodded.

"_Go on. Someone is waiting for you_." the creature said.

Syaoran's eyes widened in shock at what the creature said and looked over at the light at the end of the forest.

When he looked back, the creature had disappeared.

Syaoran let out a sigh before continuing down the path towards the light at the end of the forest.

The rain had stopped and a light fog surrounded the area.

Syaoran shivered, feeling the air turn to ice all around him.

_"Aaaazzoooooo..."_

The strange noise sounded again and Syaoran felt his breathing start to stutter.

Syaoran suddenly stepped out into a clearing with a giant lake in the middle. He was immediately awe-struck by the view of the glimmering surface of the lake. It looked like crystals and glimmered with a certain beauty that Syaoran couldn't describe.

_"Aaaazzzzoooo..."_

A beam of light shot out from the middle of the lake, causing Syaoran to shield his eyes.

A strange creature with a blue head and golden eyes suddenly emerged from the light in the lake.

"Azoo!" the creature chirped happily.

Syaoran stumbled backwards as the creature floated over down to him.

The creature noticed the blood stains on his clothes from the gash in Syaoran's shoulder and smiled.

Syaoran stared at the creature in bewilderment as the creature came over to him and placing its finger on Syaoran's forehead.

The creature's finger started to glow and Syaoran stared at it in shock.

After a moment, the creature pulled back and smiled before disappearing in a flash of light.

"Wait!" Syaoran called extending his hand.

He suddenly looked down at himself and realized he wasn't tired or hurt anymore.

Syaoran removed his shirt and glanced at his shoulder and was shocked to see it was fully healed into a scar.

He tapped the scar and was surprised that it didn't hurt.

"You must have a lot of will-power to have been able to be approached by the Lake Guardian, Azelf."

Syaoran whirled around to see a man with a dark blue cape and hat with matching gloves and boots.

He also had shiny blue eyes and spiky dark blue hair. He held a long staff with a pretty blue gem in the middle.

"You know, you're going to catch a cold if you stand there without a shirt." the man said with a well-humored smile.

Syaoran blushed before quickly putting his shirt back on.

"W-Who are you?" Syaoran asked after pulling his head out from his shirt.

"I am a Guardian of Aura. You may call me Sir Aaron. And you are?"

"Li Xiaolang." Syaoran said curtly as Sir Aaron smiled before glancing out at the lake.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sir Aaron said as Syaoran nodded slowly.

Sir Aaron glanced down at Syaoran and noticed his torn sleeve, which was still bloodstained.

"What happened to your shoulder?"

Syaoran stared blankly out towards the lake, losing himself in his thoughts.

The horrible memory of him being able to do nothing as the Zangoose struck down his mother flashed in his mind, causing him to tremble.

He remained silent, not wanting to talk about it.

He had nothing to go back to; he had no one to go back to. It hurt him to even think about it.

The pain of his loss was creeping up on him again as he felt tears threaten to start pouring down his face again.

Sir Aaron noticed his troubled face and smiled.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on Syaoran's head.

"It's okay. It's okay to cry once and a while." Sir Aaron said soothingly as Syaoran's eyes trembled with emotion.

Syaoran shoulders started shaking before a tear ran down his cheek.

Before he knew it, tears started streaming down is face as Syaoran started letting out cries from his heart, calling out his want for his mother.

Sir Aaron gave him a sympathetic smile as Syaoran brought his arms to his eyes, trying to wipe away his tears but only to have more tears take its place. (Syaoran is about 8 here)

After awhile, Syaoran had finally stopped and let out a couple of sniffles and hiccups.

"How do you feel?" Sir Aaron asked.

"... (sniff) Better." Syaoran said rubbing his eyes again that were now red and puffy from his crying.

"What do you think about coming along with me?" Sir Aaron offered as Syaoran looked up at him in shock.

"You have no where else to go, am I correct? If you want, you can come and stay with me."

With that, Sir Aaron started walking down a path that led deeper into the forest with his cape blowing in the wind dramatically.

Syaoran watched him for a moment and was a little uncertain if he could trust this man.

But after letting him cry in front of him with nothing more than a smile, Syaoran felt maybe he could trust him.

At the palace, Syaoran was not allowed to show any emotion whatsoever.

Syaoran glanced back at the forest before making up his mind and ran to catch up with Sir Aaron.

Sir Aaron glanced behind him and smiled seeing Syaoran following.

The two walked in silence as Syaoran looked around at his surroundings. He spotted some Pidgeys nesting in some trees and a couple of Heracrosses sucking sap nearby.

Syaoran glanced up at Sir Aaron, seeing how differently he was dressed compared to the people here in China. His attention shifted to the staff Sir Aaron was holding and stared at the blue gem in the middle.

"What is that staff for?" Syaoran asked.

"Hm? Oh, it allows me to control a great amount of aura." Sir Aaron answered.

"What's aura?"

Sir Aaron chuckled. "Aura is the life essence that everyone has. And like everyone, each aura pattern is different. Some can even learn to control and harness that power."

"Really?" Syaoran asked in interest. "What kind of power do you possess?"

"I am able to sense and see aura." Sir Aaron said.

"That's amazing." Syaoran said in awe. "Do you think I can learn to do that?"

"It depends. Not that many people have aura power."

Syaoran looked slightly disappointed and Sir Aaron patted him on the head. "But I can tell, you do hold potential of unlocking that power."

Syaoran's eyes twinkled with excitement as Sir Aaron chuckled at his reaction.

A gently breeze blew through Syaoran's hair as Sir Aaron led him into an open field.

Syaoran looked up at the clear blue sky and watched puffy, white clouds roll by. Never has he seen the sky look so peaceful and beautiful. Maybe it was the atmosphere.

"I take it you've never been away from home before." Sir Aaron said looking over his shoulder at Syaoran.

Syaoran nodded while continuing to stare up at the sky. Every sight was like a new experience for him. He never realized how closed off he was from the world at the palace.

The closest he had gotten to this were the large array of plants in the gardens. But the walls made it seem so enclosed and restricted while out here it seemed so free.

A loud cry interrupted Syaoran's thoughts as he spotted a giant golden bird fly across the sky with a giant rainbow following it.

The rainbow stretched across the plains with such a majestic look as the bird flew alongside it, glowing with a bright golden light.

Syaoran widened his eyes in awe as he watched the bird fly east. "W-What was that?"

"That is Ho-oh, the Guardian of the Rainbow Skies." Sir Aaron said as his gaze followed where Ho-oh was flying to. "Hm. It looks like it's heading east."

Syaoran glanced up at Sir Aaron with a puzzled expression, unsure what the significance that had as Sir Aaron turned to him and smiled.

"We're almost there."

Sir Aaron led Syaoran back into the forest and after a while, Syaoran spotted a small wooden house up ahead.

Chimechos were hanging from the ceiling and chimed soothingly while swaying in the breeze, giving Syaoran a soothing feeling.

"Welcome." Sir Aaron said opening up the screen door, allowing Syaoran in.

Syaoran bowed politely as Sir Aaron went into another room and got Syaoran a robe so he could change into something dry.

Though the robe was a little big, Sir Aaron rolled up the sleeves so that they were the right length and tied the waist up.

"You must be hungry. I'll get something for us to eat." Sir Aaron said as he went into another room.

"T-Thank you." Syaoran said before looking down at the floor.

'I feel like I'm being nothing but a burden...' Syaoran thought to himself. 'No matter how hard I trained... I'm nothing but a coward and a weakling... I hate it!'

Sir Aaron came in and noticed the look of distress on Syaoran's face and gave him a look of concern. "Are you all right?"

Syaoran looked up at him in surprise before looking down at his hands.

"I..." Syaoran muttered before falling silent.

Sir Aaron placed a tray of food on the table and sat across from Syaoran. He closed his eyes, focusing his energy and saw waves of despair emanating from Syaoran.

"You have quite the troubled mind for someone so young." Sir Aaron said.

"Y-You can tell?" Syaoran asked.

"I am a Guardian of Aura. Like I said before, I have the ability to read and control aura. So yes I can tell." Syaoran widened his eyes in awe.

"You sound pretty powerful." Syaoran said as Sir Aaron chuckled. "What do you do as a Guardian of Aura?"

"I travel all around the world, befriending all sorts of people and Pokémon. You can also say that I'm a treasure hunter." Sir Aaron said as he dug through one of his side bags on his belt and gently placed a golden colored plate on the table in front of him.

Syaoran observed the object curiously as he touched the surface. He suddenly pulled back when he felt that the object was warm.

"W-What is that?" Syaoran asked cautiously.

Sir Aaron chuckled. "It's called the Zap Plate. It's said that this item is a part of the mightiest Pokémon, Arceus."

"Arceus?"

"Arceus is said to be the one who created all of the Pokémon in the world." Sir Aaron explained as Syaoran widened his eyes awe.

"I've been searching for this one for a while now. Who knew I would find it in China of all places."

"How many of those plate things have you found?" Syaoran asked.

"Well, I have been searching for these plates for about fifteen years now and this was the last plate that I have been searching for," Sir Aaron said holding up the plate. "So, I'll be heading back to my homeland in a few days."

Syaoran's expression hardened as he looked down at the floor.

"So you're leaving this country..?" Syaoran asked.

Sir Aaron closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm heading back east. My pupils are probably getting a little impatient for my return."

"I see..."

Sir Aaron looked at Syaoran and smiled. "Would you like to consider becoming one of my pupils?"

Syaoran widened his eyes before looking up at Sir Aaron in shock. "You mean that?"

Sir Aaron nodded before Syaoran's mouth turned to frown and looked to the side.

"What's the matter?"

"I... I don't feel like I'm worthy to become one of your pupils." Syaoran said.

"What do you mean?"

Syaoran narrowed his eyes as they trembled with emotion.

"You have done so many things... been to so many places... met so many people... While I have been in solitary for most of my life and..."

Syaoran paused and closed his eyes tightly. "I ran away... I... I let my mother die!"

Syaoran rose from where he was sitting, his fists shaking beside him. "I'm just a coward! I'm a weakling!"

He gripped his head as if he were in pain as he gritted his teeth. "I can never live up to my father's reputation now... Everything... is just hopeless."

"It doesn't matter."

Syaoran snapped his eyes open in shock as he looked up at Sir Aaron.

"It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. All that matters is what you are going to do," Sir Aaron said with a serious expression. "All you can do is keep moving forward. You have to let go of the past. What's past is past, there's nothing you can do about it now."

"That's just it... The past..." Syaoran mumbled.

Sir Aaron frowned as a look of anger flash across Syaoran's face.

"I can't move forward like this! The past... the past will always haunt me no matter what I do!" Syaoran shouted.

"I want to forget! Please, it hurts too much to remember!"

Syaoran collapsed onto his hands and knees as his whole body started trembling.

"I could do nothing as my father died in battle... and now my mother is dead because she was protecting me! I want to be stronger... I want to forget!"

Sir Aaron stood and faced him as Syaoran stared hard at the ground.

"I don't want to stay here!" Syaoran cried. "I've done nothing but suffer here... I can't bear it anymore! There's absolutely nothing left for me here. I can't go back to my home... I just want to know where I'm supposed to go! But... I feel so confused. The elders taught me one thing while my mother contradicted those teachings. I want to believe my mother... but when living one way for most of my life, I just..."

"I don't want to be here... I don't want to be me! I want to be someone stronger... like a Pokémon."

Sir Aaron looked down at Syaoran with an unreadable expression as Syaoran looked back up at him, tears streaking down his face.

"A Pokémon becomes stronger the longer it's trained... I want to be a Pokémon! I want to start over! I don't want anything to do with my past life!" Syaoran cried, his eyes burning like fire.

A heavy silence hung in the air as Syaoran stared with fierce determination at Sir Aaron, who continued looking down at him deep in thought.

"Do you really want to forget?" Sir Aaron asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Syaoran looked back down at the ground and nodded. "It's too much..."

"Stand up." Sir Aaron commanded as Syaoran staggered up to his feet.

"Do you really want to start over as a Pokémon, without the memories of your past life?" Sir Aaron asked.

Syaoran stared at him for a moment, feeling a sudden pang of fear before nodding. "Yes."

"You understand that once I do this, there may be no way for you to resume your original form. Do you still want to go through with this?" Sir Aaron asked.

Syaoran nodded again. "I don't want to feel this pain anymore..."

Sir Aaron lifted his staff and pointed it directly at Syaoran as the blue gem in the middle started glowing.

"From this point on, this boy will not be known as Li Xiaolang or as a human... but a Pokémon that represents his spirit. Change not only your form, but you're memories and start over!" Sir Aaron commanded as the gem in the middle of his staff started shining brightly as two items appeared from the staff. One looked like a pink pearl while the other looked like a blue prism.

The two items started circling Syaoran as a string of white light appeared around him.

Syaoran felt overwhelming heat bubbling inside him causing him to sweat. He doubled over as he felt like his whole body was on fire while jolts of pain coursed through his body.

The pain was tearing through his chest as he glanced down at his hand to see it slowly changing into a paw.

_'I'm sorry mother... but I won't be able to know who's waiting for me...' _Syaoran muttered to himself as the room started turning blurry before he closed his eyes and allowed darkness to overtake him.

The light consumed his body as Sir Aaron watched intently.

The light surrounding Syaoran suddenly burst, revealing a small blue dog-like creature with black markings in his place.

The dog-like creature slowly dropped to its knees and laid down on the floor.

Sir Aaron walked over to the creature's side as it slowly opened its dark red eyes.

"W-Where am I?" the creature asked sitting up and looking around puzzled.

Sir Aaron kneeled down to the creature's level and smiled.

"My name is Sir Aaron. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Riolu."

**To be continued...**

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**If you've read Pokemon Master: Sakura, you would see Syaoran saying some of these things in a couple of the earlier chapters. So Sakura was basically seeing "Lucario's" past, hinting how he got to be a Pokemon. Hope you enoyed this chapter, please review!


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